The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has led to the suspension of Ethiopian runner Diribe Welteji, who failed to provide a doping sample in February 2025. The sanctions took effect on July 8, 2025, and will last until June 30, 2027.
According to this decision, all of Welteji's results from February 25, 2025, will be annulled. In particular, this affects her silver medal won at the World Indoor Championships held in Nanjing. However, it is worth noting that the athlete still retains the silver medal obtained at the 2023 Outdoor World Championships.
During the legal proceedings, it was established that Welteji had no intention of violating the rules; however, she was unable to provide compelling arguments to justify her absence from the doping control. Initially, the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Agency (ETH-NADO) found no violations in the athlete's actions, but World Athletics contested this decision in CAS, seeking a four-year ban.
Thus, Welteji will be able to return to international competitions only in the summer of 2027, which will allow her to attempt to qualify for the World Championships in Beijing.
